Shopping problems

Specific disabilities and conditions
101

Two things that do concern me regarding food supplies:

  1. Do you realise just how much of our fresh veg and fruit comes from overseas ? Strawberries from Spain; blueberries from Chile; green beans from Gambia are a few that spring to mind - just check the labels. How soon before they begin to be in short (or non-existent supply ?)

  2. Our own farmers have fields full of fresh produce, but who is going to pick and pack it ? Seasonal workers from eastern European countries won’t be allowed into the country so I foresee shortages of home grown produce too.Or is it all going to be allowed to rot in the ground ?

102

Yep … off forum , very much in the thoughts of several contacts.

As highlighted a few months ago , the position of EEC nationals in both social care and the NHS come a hard Brexit.

Now add on the ongoing situation in areas like Lincolnshire with the harvest season soon to commence.

Further aspirated by the sheer number of non EEC nationals among the army of pickers … Belarusian / Ukrainian / Russian being predominate.

Now technically stranded with no recourse to the UK benefit system … most will say they knew the risks and accepted them.

Hard to socially distance themselves no thanks to the " Usual " type of accommodation made available to the seasonal workers.

Not a happy time to be a resident of Boston … as if there ever was such a time ?

103

Coronavirus : Aldi, Morrisons and Waitrose lift some restrictions.

Aldi, Morrisons and Waitrose are easing restrictions on some of their products which were imposed in the wake of stockpiling earlier this month.

All the major supermarkets restricted customers to buying fixed amounts of individual items to keep shelves full.

Aldi is now scrapping limits completely on all but a few items, while Morrisons and Waitrose have also removed some limits and changed others.

Coronavirus: Aldi, Morrisons, Waitrose and Asda lift some restrictions - BBC News

Full article contains much more details … worth 5 minutes if anyone is using ANY of the supermarkets.

104

Blind ‘not vulnerable enough’ for food deliveries.

A blind couple struggling to get online food deliveries because they are not considered vulnerable enough are calling on the government to ensure they have access to priority shopping.

Glen and Rowan Graham, from Devon, said they are scared because they cannot drive themselves to the supermarket.

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is campaigning to class blind people as vulnerable.

The government said it was “working to identify others who may need support”.

Blind 'not vulnerable enough' for food deliveries - BBC News


1.5 million … or closer to north of 10 million … ?

105

Related news item … those numbers again ???


Doubts over take-up of UK government emergency food parcels.

Food banks and charities also warn that elderly and vulnerable people are already going hungry.

However, official guidance sent to local authorities seen by the Guardian reveals that the government anticipates that no more than 400,000 people self-isolating in their homes would sign up for free food parcels over the next few weeks, with the rest expected to turn it down because they have support from family and friends.
Separately, food banks have warned that potentially hundreds of thousands of older and vulnerable people who do not qualify for help through the emergency delivery scheme, but who are self-isolating at home, are now reliant on over-stretched food charities’ supplies to access food safely.

Doubts over take-up of UK government emergency food parcels | Coronavirus | The Guardian

Interlocks with other current threads … mutual aid groups being just one.

106

Food banks don’t need to subsidise people just because they can’t get to the shops. It’s just there needs to be a better delivery network. Surely this is where the Army can help, or even school kids?

107

Some food banks are now " Lending " essentials to the mutual aid groups.

In turn , the mutual aid groups are supplying many vulnerable people yet to be on any " official " list.

Best to view both as part of the same problem … getting essentials in the first place , and then delivering them.

Next step will be the local farmers … bringing them into the local network.

A case of necessity … rather than having the correct paperwork … or being on a central Government list ?

If left to the Government / supermarkets alone , when would any vulnerable person receive essential supplies ?

108

Several reports coming in of discoveries being made by local mutual aid groups who have been knocking on doors.

My local group … surrounding ex pit village … wheelchair bound widow … no carer called for three days , pre payment meter run out two days prior ,
biscuits for food as no microwave meals left …

Just one … how many hundreds if not thousands more to come ?

A vulnerable list is one thing , the reality at ground zero … wherever you live … is another.

109

Understandably this online shopping is going to be very hit and miss for some time to come. Shame we cannot turn the clock back and see Milk men doing their Daily rounds with the basics.,

I am over 70 so really do not want to go out early mornings and stand shivering in a queue. I look after my disabled daughter who cannot get out and now cannot get a delivery slot. She is wheelchair bound and also has a low immune system so I have to do her shopping as well as mine. If there are restrictions on the amount I can buy then I have to go out shopping 2 - 3 times a week. it is madness!

So it is. “Stay at home and go hungry or feed yourself but risk catching the virus and passing it on”
Great choice !!!

110

there is a 3rd option - you could contact one of the volunteer groups that have been set up across the country to help out those who are vulnerable or who have problems getting their food/medication supplies

111

Still a few cases of " Misinterpretation " around … or not ?


Full-time carer forced to shop without brother who has dementia.

AN elderly woman has been stopped from shopping alongside her brother with dementia due to supermarket rules.

Carol Silcock, 70, lives with brother Terry Austin, 76, in St Osyth, where she cares for him around the clock as a result of his debilitating illness.

Desperately in need of some essentials, having self-isolated for two weeks because of coronavirus, the pair were taken to Lidl, in Clacton, by a friend on Monday.

After being dropped off outside the shop, Carol grabbed a trolley and approached the entrance, alongside her brother, but was stopped by a security guard.

According to Carol’s daughter, Julie Argent, 52, her mum and uncle were told they could not shop together because of new social distancing rules, which permits only one person per trolley.

Carol told the security guard her brother cannot be left alone, because he has advanced dementia, but they were still warned to split up or go elsewhere.

Full-time carer forced to shop without brother who has dementia | Gazette

A carer pushing his / her caree in a wheelchair with one of those special trolleys designed specifically for that purpose.

Many lone carers will know that problem only too well … me included in the days before Internet shopping.

What is their position … refused entry ?

Asked before … social distancing … two arrive to shop by car … how can one social distance themselves in a car ?

Another practical case for Carers UK to advise on ?

112

Thousands struggle to buy food

There are growing concerns that people with specific medical conditions who are unable to shop for food are still not recognised as eligible for an emergency government delivery scheme.

Fazilet Hadi, Head of Policy at DR UK said: “We welcome the government scheme and would like to see the eligibility criteria widened to cover all those who for medical reasons or for reasons of physical distancing, need to stay at home.

“Supermarkets and their staff are pulling out all the stops to ramp up supply and staffing at this unprecedented time. But we know of many cases where people who need to be self-isolating are still having to visit shops in person as they cannot get the help they need, nor any timeslots they need for online delivery.”

Read more, including details on a petition, and more comment from Kamran Mallick and Fazilet Hadi, here: Thousands struggle to buy food | Disability Rights UK

113

we have tried to reg with sainsburys all though according to our dr surgery and hospital we have been advised to stay in for another 12 weeks all though no letter from the goverment but did reg under goverment vulnerable list we did get text but when try to reg with sainsburys they do not see us as vulnerable !!

114

The NHS’ own guidance is contradictory and confusing, because we’re led to believe this is a government list, yet on their page This page has been removed - NHS


People most at risk are being contacted by the NHS.

Speak to your GP or care team if you have not been contacted and think you should have been.

So we’ve had no contact from anyone, call the doctors, are told to go through 111, then told to go through doctors, who then claim “its a government thing”

Left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing.

115

I am getting really annoyed at the way the press are reporting things. Whilst many people with health issues or disabilities have financial issues, many others don’t.

What they all have in common is difficulty in getting to the shops and/or paying for the shopping.

Something similar to the Milk and More service needs to be rolled out nationally, or all the supermarkets doing a fixed parcel of goods that can be sealed and delivered. Obviously my area of the New Forest has different challenges to a high rise block of flats (Could each block have a mini supermarket in conjunction with one of the larger ones?)

So many people have been laid off that there is an army of people out there. If they are going to be “furloughed” they receive 80% of their wages for doing absolutely nothing, subsidised by the government. Surely they could be “conscripted” into a delivery service?

We are really only at the beginning of a 14 week period of total isolation, after all. It’s going to get far worse for everyone before it gets better.

116

My friend is nearly 80, with health issues, including breast cancer, treatment stopped because of staff problems, has had nothing in the way of support. No letter nothing. Fortunately I can get her shopping, even more fortunately managed to secure an online shop. I can’t carry it all, ( no car) have weak wrists from when I broke them. She is worried about getting her money to pay for the shopping, as she still draws cash from the post office. I’m not worried by waiting for the money back, as I have no intention of waiting in a queue to pay it in at the moment. Not every one is in the same position, and I fear that there are people stuck in,with no way of getting out, no one to check on them, and feel hopeless.
My son in law is an ocado driver, and has said today people are out in droves in the country side, obviously ignoring the instruction to say home. Instructions are to go out only if necessary, and for some exercise, but not to drive to the country side have picnics and ignore the social distancing. I’m getting agitated at this obvious I’m alright jack and will do as I like, attitude, when others are doing their best to comply.
My rant over!

117

I have not managed to get an online slot despite having used Tesco/Ocado for years due to me not driving. Husband 81 later this month but he is not on the vulnerable list despite just having been diagnosed with something that sounds as if it belongs to the COPD group. Initially he was told he would be on the list but when I chased as had not had letter, was told he was not on it and that things were changing daily.

The bottom line is that I HAVE to go out to the new Co-op probably 3x a week as I do not drive and cannot carry much. Yes I realise I risk bringing infection back but have no choice. My neighbours have offered to go to Morrissons to get heavy things so that is a big help. I am like your friend Pet - I draw money out via my local post office so still have to get cash to pay anyone who offers help. I have read the Telegraph today Letters Page - just how ill or old does one have to be to be classed as vulnerable?. I am lucky in a way as I can walk relatively happily but just cannot carry and the advice is to go out as little as possible which I could comply with, if I could get back to online shops even if rationed.

What we are being told by the politicians and what is happening on the ground is very very different. I do worry there may be older people living alone who are falling through the net…

118

Tesco’s slogan, “Every little helps,” sounds very hollow for the elderly.

Unlike Sainsbury, which gives priority slots every week for the over 75s if they have a
nectar card or have had previous orders with them.

Thanks Sainsbury for, "Every little helps elderly.*

119

Have you thought about a wheeled shopping trolley? If the walk is not a problem, it could be the answer.

120

That vulnerable list again ?

Blind man denied Sainsbury’s priority delivery slot as ‘not vulnerable enough.’

Matt Kirby, 48, from Hull, is completely blind and has needed help from friends and family.

Mr Kirby says that he initially received an email to confirm that he would be given priority delivery, but then was later told he would have to get to Scunthorpe - a 35 mile round trip - to pick up his goods from a click and collect facility.

( Hourly bus service now suspended u.f.n. … no direct train link ! )
After Hull Live approached Sainsbury’s for a comment> , the supermarket says they will now be contacting Mr Kirby to offer him a delivery slot.

A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “We are prioritising elderly and vulnerable people for our online delivery service.

"We are investigating Matt’s experience and will be contacting him to arrange a slot.”

1.5 million or … north of 10 million ?

How are the missing millions coping ?